1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a link layer, such as for use in a wireless communication system.
2. Related Art
Wireless communication between a sender and a receiver includes sending information using a wireless communication link, in which the sender modulates information onto a wireless communication channel (such as a frequency band reserved for wireless communication between the sender and the receiver). The receiver demodulates that information from the wireless communication channel, so as to recover the original information.
One problem with known systems is that physical characteristics of the communication link between the sender and receiver can change substantially over relatively short periods of time. For example, the distance between the sender and receiver can change. In a second example, the equipment used by the sender or receiver (that is the consumer premises equipment) can change. Moreover, these physical characteristics can change independently of each other. As a result, selection of a single set of such physical characteristics can result in relatively ineffective or inefficient communication between the sender and the receiver.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a technique for wireless communication, in which physical characteristics of the communication link between sender and receiver can be changed substantially during a single session of communication, that is not subject to the drawbacks of the known art.
The invention provides a method and system for a wireless transport layer, such as for use in a wireless communication system. In a preferred embodiment, the wireless transport layer includes the capability for instructing customer premises equipment to adjust the physical characteristics on its communication link with the base station controller, and for instructing customer premises equipment to conduct further communications using those new physical characteristics. In several aspects of the invention, as described herein, the wireless transport layer includes a number of provisions, such as adaptive link layer transport services and an advanced TDMA (time division multiple access) protocol. These work together to adjust communication between the base station controller and customer premises equipment in view of the prospect of adjusting physical characteristics for communication between the two end points. The use of a point-to-multipoint wireless channel provides services over a link whose parameters are continuously adapting to current conditions, on a per-user basis.
The invention provides an enabling technology for a wide variety of applications for communication, so as to obtain substantial advantages and capabilities that are novel and non-obvious in view of the known art. Examples described below primarily relate to a wireless communication system, but the invention is broadly applicable to many different types of communication in which characteristics of the communication link are subject to change.